1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to composition of baseballs and more particularly to composition of a baseball's core with improved characteristics.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical baseball is shown in FIG. 1 and comprises a spherical core 10 and two identical pieces of leather 21, 22 sewn to the core 10. One composition of the core 10 is cork and rubber mixed by solvent. The mix is next heated in a mold to form a sphere. The other composition of the core 10 is a high-density cork filled in a hollow rubber center, and the center wound in yarn or the like. Either composition has materials of cork and rubber. The cork is sourced from cork oak not wood. Composition of cork is mainly cork fiber. Cork oaks are endemic to southwest Europe. Cork oaks can be harvested every 9 to 12 years to produce cork. Cork is widely used in many applications (e.g., stoppers).
However, baseballs are poor in quality if their cores are composed of cork. This is because cork has a low density and weight and diameter tolerances are not acceptable. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.